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Vivendi busts move and itself:
- — Media and entertainment giant Vivendi Universal is selling its money-losing Internet venture and several French magazines, chipping away at its troubled empire to help pay off massive debts.
The French conglomerate, whose financial problems prompted the ouster of flamboyant chairman Jean-Marie Messier in July, said Friday it was selling its 50 percent stake in Internet venture Vizzavi SA to partner British mobile phone operator Vodafone PLC for 142.7 million euros ($140.27 million) in cash.
The sale leaves Vodafone as sole owner of the Internet portal except for Vizzavi France. Vivendi has 100 percent control of the French service. Vivendi said it would save 171 million euros ($168.1 million) in planned spending on Vizzavi in 2002-2003.
“The sale of Vizzavi forms part of the plan to dispose of non-core assets and to reduce cash drains on the Vivendi Universal group,” the company said in a statement.
Just two years ago, Vizzavi was Messier’s big-ticket dream. It was intended to give subscribers access to Vivendi’s music, movies and games through mobile phones, computers and TV.
Vivendi said it has also reached a deal to sell its French news magazine group, L’Express-L’Expansion, Comareg small-ads publications, and student magazine L’Etudiant to French publisher SocPresse.
Those sales were to bring more than 300 million euros ($294.9 million), giving the company a total of about 450 million euros ($442.35 million) from the deals.
The sales are part of a plan by new chairman Jean-Rene Fourtou to sell at least 10 billion euros ($9.83 billion) worth of Vivendi assets over two years to trim debts and restore the company’s financial health.
But with debts estimated at around 19 billion euros ($18.68 billion), more selling was expected in Vivendi’s future.
Vivendi is planning to sell U.S. educational publisher Houghton Mifflin for up to 2 billion euros ($1.97 billion). The Boston-based company was bought last year in an acquisition spree by Messier.
In addition, Fourtou has said he had an agreement for another 2 billion euros in financing with major creditor banks, including France’s BNP Paribas SA, Societe Generale SA and Germany’s Deutsche Bank AG, by the end of September. The company is believed to have only enough cash to last through October.
“I am still waiting for two big events: the 2 billion euro credit facility and a big sale, like Houghton Mifflin,” said Mark Harrington, an analyst with JPMorgan.
Harrington said Vivendi Universal’s chances of recouping the full 2.24 billion euros it paid for the publisher are unlikely, because the gloomy economic outlook could offset Houghton Mifflin’s improved performance.
Vivendi Universal shares closed up 1.59 percent at 12.80 euros ($12.58) on the Paris stock exchange. The stock has lost nearly 80 percent of its value this year, and 6 percent in the past week. On the New York Stock Exchange, Vivendi’s U.S.-traded shares gained 27 cents to close Friday at $12.96…..


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A new statement posted on Dollar Tree’s website shows that the company has now implemented Apple Pay and all other mobile contactless-based payment methods in its stores.
The statement reads the following:
“Most registers are now equipped with contactless payment through Tap to Pay with Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. All Family Dollar stores have these options available, and all Dollar Tree stores will have this technology implemented by the end of April.”
I was able to find that my nearby Dollar Tree store in Le Mars, IA has Apple Pay working in its store as of a couple of weeks ago.
Dollar Tree owns all of the Family Dollar stores which also accept Apple Pay in its stores.
By Dollar Tree accepting Apple Pay in its stores, it also means Apple Card users can use Apple Card from their iPhone or Apple Watch and get two percent in Daily Cash.
Apple Pay is still not accepted as a payment method on Dollar Tree’s website. However, if you see Apple Pay or Apple Card being used and accepted at your Dollar Tree store or see someone using it at a store, let us know on Twitter at @appleosophy.

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ICDL Accredited Center, Zetech University, as part of its CSR Activities provides Digital Skills Training to Prisoners and Prison Staff from various Prisons all over Kenya.
BIG GAPS BETWEEN PERCEPTION AND REALITY OF DIGITAL SKILLS FOUND ACCORDING TO NEW ECDL FOUNDATION REPORT
New research by ICDL Foundation confirms that people consistently overestimate their digital skills. The latest edition of the Perception and Reality report, published this week, brings together research from five countries in Europe, as well as Singapore and India. Significant digital skills gaps exist in all of the countries featured in the report, including among young people.
Kenya and Uganda hosted ICDL Africa General Manager, Séamus McGinley, who visited both countries with an agenda focused on Market development. The main focus being the 2016 activities plan for Kenya, and strengthening the ICDL Africa relationships with Government stakeholders for Uganda.
ICDL Africa held Workshops in Abuja and Lagos for existing ATCs on its first ever trip to Nigeria. The ATCs were updated on ICDL foundation's recent developments and programme operations. ATCs also had an opportunity to discuss Marketing and business development and outline a strategy for the ICDL brand growth in Nigeria.
Kenya hosted the ICDL Africa forum with more than 80 delegates from Kenya, representatives from Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda and most notably ICDL Foundation CEO Damien O'Sullivan. The event was closed off by an Awards Ceremony to the best performing ATCs in the region.


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The Resource Center has all the info you'll need From content to user feedback, the resource center has the information you need for every level of the entrepreneurial process.
A startup company with a new way to make nanofibers sees many potential applications in the medical business. Xanofi has the technology to make strides in several industries, including the healthcare business.
A new report says healthcare spending will make up 20 percent of the U.S. economy by 2019. Read more on what kind of companies can take advantage of the growing healthcare business market.
A North Carolina startup is taking on the problem of counterfeit drugs. The company’s technology embeds a tiny tag into the medicine itself that allows for identification and authentication to fight fraudulent pharmaceuticals.
Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, will invest $20 million to $30 million in helping companies through first-in-man and preclinical studies. The firm expects to invest in 10 to 15 companies in the healthcare business.
Health IT, innovation and business models are some of the topics addressed in this Q&A session with Richard Foster, a new partner at venture capital firm Lux Capital. Read more for his views on the future of health IT and his advice for new entrepreneurs.
A new biomedical endowment at Duke University will support a program that has already launched new healthcare businesses. Read more to find out about Duke’s successes in commercializing medical technology.
Want to get connected? Sign up to receive regular news, polls and updates from The Kauffman Foundation.


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Nissan sales jump 23%, Leaf enjoys second-best month
Nissan North America's U.S. sales jumped 23.2 percent in April, the Franklin-based division of the auto giant announced today.
Nissan sold 87,847 vehicles last month, up from 71,329 a year ago.
Sales of Nissan-branded vehicles increased to 80,003 sales, up from 64,200 a year ago.
"We expect to have gained market share in April due to our strong retail performance, which we have full intention to continue through the summer months given the building momentum that we are seeing with Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder in particular," Jose Munoz, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Nissan Americas, said in a news release.
Infiniti-branded vehicles increased to 7,844 sales, up 10 percent from a year ago.
Sales of the all-electric Leaf, made in Smyrna, increased by more than 423 percent, to 1,937 sales, the car's second-best month ever.
Here's a look at how other Nissan vehicles made in Smyrna fared in March:
• Altima: 21,991units sold in April, up 35.4 percent compared to a year ago
• Maxima: 2,678 units, down 22.2 percent
• Pathfinder: 6,473 units, up 214.7 percent
• Infiniti JX: 2,580 units, up 24.1 percent
A brief video of Munoz discussing Nissan's April performance is below.
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A recent CNBC story caught my attention.
Millennials as a demographic have been the focus of technology and those companies using tech to attract them.
However, this CNBC story featured analyst, Anthony DiClemente, who made a compelling statement. The growth of Internet phone usage will be strongest among baby boomers. The story focused on healthcare marketing, but the core message extends to many segments.
In my opinion, this has some pretty important marketing implications.
I think you’d agree that there are two items we rarely leave our homes without. The first is our car keys. The second is our phones.
Mobile phone technology offers us a unique opportunity to reach into the lives of consumers in our target markets. Print media is virtually dying on the vine. Television media has been losing steam for quite some time. We are very rapidly approaching a completely on-demand lifestyle.
Think about it. Many of us have had the ability to DVR or TiVo television shows for years. The primary benefit is convenience. But the real value for many is that we can skip through commercials, thus avoid them altogether.
Cable companies are beginning to unbundle your services because they realize it’s what clients are demanding. We want what we want, when we want it.
Even Keurig was able to take advantage a niche for on-demand consumption, although this form of consumption is obviously different. Some haters would argue their Keurig is more valuable than the article you’re reading. I’d counter they’re complementary. (Pause to take another sip between paragraphs.)
Many of the companies I worked with early on were extremely hesitant to jump online as part of their marketing strategy. They viewed the Internet as something the younger kids were using, namely those without enough money to hire them or buy their services. That mindset is rapidly changing.


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This year's full-size pickup truck sales are surging, driven at least in part by increased U.S. oil production, according to Ford chief economist Emily Kolinski Morris.
But new pickups sold today are far more fuel-efficient than those offered even a couple of years ago--and the highest ratings of all go to the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel.
With several months of sales under its belt, Chrysler says many owners of the only diesel light-duty pickup are getting even better fuel efficiency than the EPA ratings.
Ram brand director Bob Hegbloom told trade journal Automotive News that drivers are "taking screen shots (of the fuel economy gauge)" to brag about their mileage.
Third parties have said they are doing far better than the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel's 28-mpg highway rating. That number was validated by Motor Trend magazine in a pre-production vehicle last fall.
"We've got people out there who are saying they are getting into the low 30s consistently with their truck," Hegbloom himself bragged.
That's not unknown for diesel cars; Volkswagen Jetta TDI owners have been bragging for years about outdoing their window-sticker numbers.
The 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is rated at 23 mpg combined (20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway) in its rear-wheel drive form. The four-wheel-drive model of the same truck comes in at 22 mpg combined (19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway).
The diesel Ram pickups use a 240-hp turbodiesel V-6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The diesel puts out a substantial 420 lb-ft of torque.
By way of comparison, the most fuel-efficient gasoline Ram 1500 model is the 2014 Ram 1500 HFE, available only with rear-wheel drive.
Its 3.5-liter Pentastar direct-injected V-6 and eight-speed automatic are rated at 21 mpg combined (18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway).
And, unlike diesels, gasoline engines are not known for delivering higher highway mileage than their EPA ratings.


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ESBA supports putting a halt to Chinese e-bikes being dumped on the European market. Please see below a press-release by EBMA, the European Bicycle Manufacturers Association:
The European Commission confirmed in the Official Journal today that at this stage it has "sufficient evidence that imports of the product concerned from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are being dumped"; and “the Commission has at its disposal sufficient evidence that the exporting producers' subsidy practices are causing material injury to the Union industry.”
The European Commission published key data presented with EBMA’s complaint, and stated in the Official Journal (Link Below):
- “The evidence of dumping is based on a comparison of the normal value thus established with the export price (at ex-works level) of the product concerned when sold for export to the Union. As a whole, and given the extent of the alleged dumping margins ranging from 193 % to 430 %, this evidence provides sufficient support at this stage that the exporting producers practice dumping”
- “The complaint also provided sufficient evidence of alleged injury showing a steep decline of the market share of the Union Industry from 42.5 % in 2014 to 28.6 % in the period used for the complaint, depressed and declining levels of profitability from 3.4 % of turnover in 2014 to 2.1 % in the period used for the complaint as well as underselling calculations ranging from 153 % to 206 %.”
- “The volume of exports from the PRC to the Union increased by 82 % in the period from November 2017 to February 2018 when compared to the period from November 2016 to February 2017.”
Furthermore, as stated in the Official Journal:
- “The Commission considered that a year-on-year comparison was not influenced by seasonality effects and provided evidence of a rise of 82 % in the volume of imports since the initiation of the case”.
- “The Commission considered that the importers were aware, or should have been aware, of the alleged dumping practices, the extent thereof and the alleged injury”
- “The further substantial rise in imports is likely to seriously undermine the remedial effect of the duties to be applied. It is indeed reasonable to assume that the imports of the product concerned may further increase prior to the adoption of provisional measures, if any, since the latter would occur at the latest around the 20th of July which would coincide with the end of the 2018 selling season of electric bicycles.”
Moreno Fioravanti, Secretary General of the EBMA pointed out: ”Today’s decision on Registration has been made in time to counter a flood of dumped e-bikes through the important summer sales months of 2018, and rejected claims made by Chinese-backed interests. Dumped, subsidised Chinese e-bikes are flooding the EU at an alarming rate and artificially low prices. Chinese exporters are anticipating new EU trade measures and trying to avoid duties by stockpiling massive volumes of e-bikes in the EU, as demonstrated by the skyrocketing increase in imports of e-bikes. Just in the month of January 2018 alone, over 130,000 Chinese e-bikes were shipped to the EU.”
“Overall e-bike exports from China grew by 83% in 2017 compared to 2016. A total of close to 800,000 e-bikes were exported in 2017 to the European Union’s 28 member states; up 83% on the 434,000 total of 2016. Without immediate action, China would quickly take over the vast majority of the EU e-bike market this year, causing an unfair and unjustified decline of the EU industry after it has generated so many excellent and innovative products – the development of the pedal-assist e-bikes (EPAC's) is a great achievement of our EU bicycle industry – and invested record amounts in 2016 and 2017, over 1 billion euros per year,” continued Fioravanti.
The EBMA actions to ‘Stop China Dumping e-bikes’ are supported by the European Small Business Alliance (ESBA), AEGIS Europe representing 30 European industry sectors, and the European trade union IndustriAll which is the voice of 7 million workers across Europe.
“Our European bicycle, e-bike and components industry is one of the largest generators of green jobs in the EU, and the dumped Chinese e-bikes put at serious risk the employment of over 90,000 EU workers and 800 SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).” said Fioravanti.
In 2017 the EBMA filed complaints with the European Commission, calling for urgent trade defence measures on e- bikes from China, and the registration of imports. In view of an alarming market reality, the European Commission launched an anti-dumping investigation on 20 October 2017 of EU imports of Chinese e-bikes, followed by an anti- subsidy investigation initiated on 21 December 2017. Chinese e-bike exporters benefit from massive subsidies from government bodies at every level in China which have encouraged the establishment of enormous overcapacities. European bicycle manufacturers cannot compete with the enormous scale of state-sponsored dumping and are already suffering a loss of jobs, investment and growth, as well as EU market share.
“European e-bikes are the right green choice for European consumers. If the entire annual EU demand for bicycles and e-bikes were imported from China, their production would generate over 2 million MT more in CO2 and other emissions than if the bicycles and e-bikes were made in the EU, due to shipping-generated sulphuric dioxides, the still growing use of coal energy in China, the use of hazardous materials in China, and other factors”, concluded Fioravanti.
Official Journal of 3 May 2018
For further information:
Natalia Kurop +32(0)488 945 579


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Are Marijuana Stocks Setting Up For A Rebound?
What marijuana stocks should you buy in 2022? The ancillary marijuana stock market is one sector that has experienced sharp drops to start the year. Companies that serve the cannabis industry but don’t work with the plant directly are known as ancillary cannabis companies. Numerous businesses frequently assist the cannabis sector. Ancillary businesses can aid in giving the cannabis sector a presence online or equipment for growing cannabis.
Over the first half of 2022, the value of a few stocks with Nasdaq listings that are tied to cannabis started to drop. Thus, a number of these marijuana stocks are currently available for purchase by investors at a markedly reduced cost. Some of these stocks can provide potential cannabis investors with a place to start their long-term investments or a chance to profit from current market changes. The following list includes what may be the best 2 ancillary marijuana stocks to keep an eye on in October.
[Read More] Are Marijuana Stocks A Buy After Reaching New Lows?
Best Ancillary Marijuana Stocks For Watchlist In October
- Leafly Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LFLY)
- WM Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAPS)
Leafly Holdings, Inc.
In February, Leafly Holdings Inc., a well-known online cannabis retailer and consumer resource announced that trading in its common stock, LFLY, had opened on the NASDAQ. Leafly is the most reliable website for finding and purchasing cannabis goods from licensed vendors across the world. More than 125 million people use Leafly each year to learn about cannabis and make online purchases from nearby shops. Customers can make wise purchasing selections thanks to the company’s extensive resources, which include technology and advertising services. This aids cannabis firms in luring in and keeping loyal clients. Thanks to the online cannabis delivery service that the company introduced when it began operating in California in May, customers may now make purchases directly from the company website.
Due to an increase in retailer and brand revenues, the company reported total sales of $12 million for the second quarter of 2022, up 13.8% from the second quarter of 2021. Additionally, the gross margin decreased to 88.0% from 88.5% in Q2 2021. The company experienced an adjusted EBITDA loss of $8.4 million as opposed to the adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.8 million in Q2 2021. The total revenue Leafly expects to generate in 2022 will be between $48.0 million and $51.0 million, which would be a midpoint 15% increase over 2021. The Adjusted EBITDA loss that Leafly currently expects ranges between $28.5 million and $26.0 million. In June, Leafly was added to the Russell 3000 and 2000 indices. In September, the company unveiled its most prominent and groundbreaking ad products to date.
LFLY Stock Performance
LFLY stock closed on September 28th at $0.7950 down 56.32% in the past month of trading. Currently, the stock has a range of $0.7510-$11.58 and is down 92.04% year to date. According to analysts at CNN Business LFLY stock has a median price target of $5.25 per share. In this case, this would represent an upside of 564.56% from its last trading price of $0.7950.
[Read More] 2 Marijuana REITS To Watch In October
WM Technology, Inc.
Weedmaps is an online retailer in addition to being a user and business directory for the cannabis industry. It belongs to the WM Technology, Inc. division. Cannabis retailers frequently employ the cloud-based SaaS solutions from WM Business as their operating system. The goods and services offered by WM Business frequently make it less difficult to abide by the complex and ever-changing legislative regulations governing the cannabis industry. In May, WM Technology offered a digital payment option in Ontario to broaden its product offering. Because curbside pickup, delivery, and cashless transactions were becoming more and more required, this benefited small enterprises. In 2021, the company purchased Sprout, a well-known cannabis CRM, and marketing platform.
There are already more than 18,000 company listings on Weedmaps in the US, and there are an estimated 13.9 million active users per month. Currently, the average monthly income per paying member is $3789. Weedmaps reports that second quarter revenues increased by 24% from the same period last year to $58.3 million. In addition, there were 17.4 million active monthly users on June 30, 2022, up 41% from the same day the year before. The gross profit of $54.4 million is a 93% margin rate. This is a 250bps margin decline from the prior year due to investments made in new client solutions, our WM AdSuite offering, and continued investments in data projects. It’s significant that net income increased to $19.8 million from $16.8 million in the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA was down $0.6 million from the same period last year when it was $8.5 million.
MAPS Stock Performance
MAPS stock closed at $1.81 on September 28th up 4.02% in the last five trading days. Currently, the stock has a 52-week price range of $1.65- $15.16 and is down 69.73% year to date. According to analysts at CNN Business MAPS stock has a 12-month average price target of $4.50 per share. In essence, this would represent an upside of 147.93% from its last trading price of $1.81.
[Read More] 2 Marijuana Stocks To Buy Before October?
Investing In Ancillary Cannabis Stocks For 2022
These top marijuana stocks reached new lows during the most recent trading sessions; when they start to recover, investors might find value in the stocks. To determine whether an asset is appropriate for your trading strategy and portfolio, you can review a company’s financial statements and news announcements. Making better trading decisions can be aided by an understanding of technical indicators and chart patterns. Active traders in October may have the opportunity to make short-term gains due to the current market volatility in the cannabis business.


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Boom! Studios has announced the second issue of 28 Days Later sold out at the distributor level, immediately after release.Â This has prompted the company to send the issue back to press in order to get it in readers’ hand by mid-October. 28 DAYS LATER #2 is written by Michael Alan Nelson with interior art by Declan Shalvey and colors by Nick Filardi, with the first print shipping with two covers in a 50/50 split by Tim Bradstreet and Sean Phillips. A third cover by DNA Films was offered as a 1 in 10 incentive. via Boom! Studios
Press Release BOOM! Studios announced today thatÂ 28 DAYS LATER #1 has sold out almost immediately after release. Fans should keep in mind, while Diamond Comic Distributors is completely sold out,Â first printings of 28 DAYS LATER #1 may still be found at a direct market retailer near you. Diamond Comic Distributors is making the second printing of 28 DAYS LATER #1 available for retailers to order immediately and the second printing will be featured in the Septemper 16th issue of Previews Plus in Diamond Dateline. 28 DAYS LATER #1Â second print (JUL098219) features a “Blood Red” variant of the
Press Release Eureka TV show creator Andrew Cosby’s new adventure comedy HUNTER’S FORTUNE debuts this October, scripted by Caleb Monroe (THE REMNANT) with interior art by superstar newcomer Matt Cossin and A covers by JONAH HEX’s Phil Noto.
Can you believe that Amazing Spider-Man has reached 600 issues?Â Then maybe you’ll believe Amazing Spider-Man #600 sold out at the distributor level (although copies may still be available from your local comic shop), prompting Marvel to send the issue back to press with a new cover featuring John Romita Jr.’s interior art on the cover.
Press Release Adding to its growing list of accolades, acclaims and honors, Archaiaâ€™s Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game has been recognized by the 2009 Gen Con EN World RPG Awards (â€œthe ENniesâ€) in three categories. The awards recognize excellence in tabletop roleplaying gaming, and winners are determined by the peoplesâ€™ choice, with the final winners voted upon online by gamers across the world. The Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game has been nominated for Best Interior Art, Best Production Values and Product of the Year. It was created by Luke Crane (Burning Wheel) and David Petersen, the creator of the comic series on
Press Release Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced on July 2nd on Attack of The Show that the renowned writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) and Marc Silvestri (Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia, The Darkness) are teaming up to co-create five original concepts for the Pilot Season initiative in 2009.Â On Attack of the Show, â€œFresh Inkâ€ host Blair Butler broke the news that Robert Kirkman will write the brand new pilot issues, while Marc Silvestri will create the designs for the series and contribute the covers for each issue.Â Interior art teams and details of the concepts will be
As you might have guessed, Marvel Comics has announced Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia has sold out at the distributor level (but may still be in your local store), prompting Marvel send the issue back to press. Martial Law is declared in San Francisco to put an end the mutant rights riots and the Dark Avengers are sent to enforce it! Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia Second Printing Variant features the interior art of Silvestri on a stylish new cover! The $3.99 reprint arrives August 5, 2009. via Marvel
Somehow I totally missed out on Ultimatum: Spider-Man #1 when it was released last week, but the good news is I still have a chance to pick up the second printing, when it arrives on July 22, 2009.Â So says Marvel in an announcement that the title is going back to press following a sell out at the distributor level. The end of the Ultimate Universe is upon us! Spider-Man has vanished, presumed dead amongst the wreckage of Dr. Strangeâ€™s home. How will his closest of kin deal with his disappearance? The Ultimate Spider-Man All Stars of award-winners Brian Michael


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Passport-Free Travel Between Canada and the Netherlands...
Pilot program allows passport-free travel between Canada and the Netherlands
Click Like to Follow Fliegerfaust Facebook page to get the News ASAP / Share to share this post now.
August 8, 2019 - by Lisa Felepchuk for montrealgazette.com
Imagine a world where you could show up at the airport and board an international flight without your passport.
For Canadians, that sounds like a pipe dream. It's simply too good to be true, but a new pilot program between Canada and the Netherlands aims to make just that a reality for some passengers.
The scheme would allow them to travel between the two counties using new biometrics, like facial recognition and fingerprint scanners, that would be stored in smartphones in the place of traditional paper passports.
Straight out of the sci-fi flick that is life in 2019, here's what the new, first-of-its-kind initiative, which has been dubbed the Known Traveller Digital Identity (KTDI) is all about:
How the new program will work
Air Canada and KLM Royal Dutch will be the first two airlines to participate in the trial, with flights between Amsterdam and airports in both Toronto and Montreal.
"The Known Traveller Digital Identity concept is...
- Lufthansa CEO thinks passengers are not ready to travel on planes ... ›
- President Trump Just Signed a Law That Radically Changes Life for ... ›
- Boeing CEO: "Half the audience in the banquet hall, however ... ›
- VIDEO: French inventor successfully travels 35.4km across English ... ›


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Along with the two other new RC cars introduced today, Tamiya also announced the DB01 RRR Buggy! Released as a limited edition, this new version of the DB01 features multiple upgrades including new big bore aeration shocks, aluminum motor heatsink, universal driveshafts, aluminum suspension mounts, sealed gear differentials, and much more! All aluminum parts are anodized in a matching black to give the RRR that sleek stealthy look. Like today’s previous Tamiya announcements, the DB01 RRR Buggy is also expected to go on sale in Japan this August with USA sales to follow soon after.
- Part: 84421
- Price: TBA


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comprar instagram of using billion to buy Instagram followers company is the hot news as Myspace is quite confident generate its superior popularity every one terms of usage. Company animation is also heavily weighed now as users can use industrial animation all through Facebook in the foreseeable future. This recent deal clears all cloud exactly about further development of Myspace to use in more or less all ways for users. Therefore, many critics are planning to have better process features of industrial animation because in Facebook soon. However, the deal has several phases to come completly but the deal is predicted to close by no more June and also an additional important point is all-around hot tech upshots nowadays because of the connected with a business model pretty much never dampens the excitement on the deal.
Michael Pachter one particular Wedbush analyst identified with regard toward this, “Facebook a quality IPO is destined to be in a healthy posture to be deceptive. They can make sure no one levels in their way and acquire anyone who get in their option. Buying Instagram followers not only eliminates an adversary but gives Myspace the technology is actually why gaining crazy friction.” Facebook said with regard to this, “We plan to always keep Instagram followers using independently. That’s a brand new departure from an unique tendency to acquisition small startups and as a result integrate the electronics or shut these items down altogether so we can contact talented engineers as well developers.
This is the main element milestone for our website because it’s initially we’ve ever procured a product furthermore company with a lot of users. We can not plan on executing many more involving these, if all at all.” Bethany Parrish, an specialist with Forrester Analyse said, “It’s vast web fairy tale that many startups dream to. They took a simple behavior sharing videos with friends producing it an application that people wish for. Facebook is getting ready for its purchased big payday. Is actually important to aiming for every public offering after next month might value the opportunity around billion.
That means it would possibly easily afford Instagram followers’s price, anxieties to keep some rising star among the hands of levels of competition like Google.” A very analyst at some sort of Altimeter Group, Rebecca Lieb said with respect to this, “Buying Instagram followers would relief Facebook with if you want its most essential needs making unique service more gorgeous on smartphones. It could be easier to post Facebook when you could on the together with a snapshot associated with with text. Myspace may also will want Instagram followers assist you to it keep plan the constantly locker whims of the internet audience.


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United Airlines has offered a sneak peek of its upcoming uniform after the initial release was postponed for three years. The novel uniforms, designed by Tracy Reese in collaboration with Brooks Brothers and Carhartt in 2019, had to be put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a United Airlines spokesperson, the extended timeframe allowed them to enhance the existing pieces and adapt them to the evolving requirements of the airline.
The uniform designs are notably influenced by Star Trek, featuring two predominant shades of blue. In line with the trend among other airlines, United Airlines will also incorporate name tags indicating the employee’s preferred gender pronouns.
The airline representative stated: “This program tells the story of our airline — a story of our everyday trailblazers who connect people and unite the world. It has been years in the making, and we’re excited to be on a journey that serves the needs of our current and future employees”
In the months to come, the new designs will undergo a series of wear tests before being launched in 2025.


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Earlier this week, we shared new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro renders that offered our closest and most accurate look yet at the color options for each model. Now, new dummy units have surfaced that once again showcase the new colors…and they’re even more boring than we expected.
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iPhone 15 colors
Images of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro dummy units were shared on Twitter on Wednesday by Sonny Dickson. The images show a clear look at the five color options for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus alongside the four colors of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
As a refresher, the iPhone 15 will be available in these colors:
The iPhone 15 Pro will be available in these colors:
- Space black
- Titan gray
The dummy units also once again showcase the USB-C port on all of the iPhone 15 models, alongside the new textured titanium edges of the iPhone 15 Pro. The matte edges and titanium finish replace the glossy stainless steel edges that Apple has used since the iPhone X was introduced in 2017.
Apple’s color palettes for iPhones have never been incredibly exciting, especially on the higher-end Pro and Pro Max models. This year, however, things seem like they’ll be especially boring.
Looking at the dummy images shared by Dickson today, I’d say this is the best way to describe the iPhone 15 Pro colors: blue-gray, gray, light gray, and gray. Thrilling stuff, right?
Apple at one point tested and considered making the iPhone 15 Pro available in a gorgeous crimson red color, as 9to5Mac and other sources reported.
My assumption is that Apple simply can’t make the iPhone 15 Pro as vibrant as we would like due to the new titanium design. Apple has to perfect the coating process of the titanium material, something that’s likely more challenging than stainless steel. The company also has to factor in things like yield rates, production time, and costs. With a product that’s manufactured at the scale of the iPhone, these things are incredibly important.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro might excel in some areas – like the switch to USB-C – but the colors might make it the most boring iPhone in years.


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Those of us who live on the east side of the Lakeside subdivision in Highland need to put our porch lights on each day, now that it gets dark so early.
A recent article regarding the U.S. Postal Service’s proposal to move to five-day delivery of mail and six-day delivery of packages begs clarification.
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
A box gets a 900-pound hug on the compression table at the UPS Package Design and Testing Lab in Addison, Ill. UPS tests new packaging designs by dropping, shaking and smashing boxes with brutal-looking equipment to see what type of packaging can withstand the trip from supplier to customer,…
UPS packaging engineer Preeti Agrawal tests a packed box using a drop impact tester that simulates a box traveling through the small parcel system at the UPS Package Design and Testing Lab in Addison, Ill. UPS tests new packaging designs by dropping, shaking and smashing boxes with brutal-lo…
ADDISON, Ill. | It looks like a torture chamber for cardboard and bubble wrap. At a lab in suburban Chicago, UPS Inc. tests new packaging designs by dropping, shaking and smashing boxes with brutal-looking equipment. The point is to see what type of packaging can withstand the trip from supp…
CROWN POINT | First-graders in Romie Kabella’s class at St. Mary Catholic Community School surprised their families with letters recapping their first-grade experience.
When I was born, a first-class postage stamp cost 3 cents.
Cutting 28,000 jobs in the U.S. Postal Service in today's economy is ludicrous, and such talk shows a true lack of imagination and initiative on the part of the postmaster general's office.
INDIANAPOLIS | As the U.S. Postal Service looks to cut costs by closing half its mail processing centers nationwide, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, will fight to keep the Gary Processing and Distribution Center open.
Some consumers find unsolicited advertisements useful; others find them a useless burden.
Enshrined in Article One of the U.S. Constitution is the authorization to establish a postal system for the United States.
The Postal Service is facing a financial crisis. With the economic downturn and increased diversion to the Internet, mail volume has dropped drastically. The decline in volume has left the Postal Service with a mail processing network that is too large for the amount of mail it now processes.
GARY | Mayor Rudy Clay said he is disappointed at the possibility of scaled back operations at the U.S. Postal Service's Gary Processing and Distribution Center.
GARY | The U.S. Postal Service will look into consolidating some of its operations at its Gary Processing and Distribution Center into its South Bend center.
INDIANAPOLIS | Add that big packet of tax forms arriving in your mailbox just after New Year's Day to the list of items replaced by technology.
INDIANAPOLIS | As letter carriers in Indiana deliver mail in the aftermath of recent heavy snow, the United States Postal Service requests cooperation from homeowners and businesses.
U.S. Postal Service branches in Northwest Indiana have announced various hours of business nearing the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Have you experienced a slowdown in your Dyer mail service? It now takes an extra two days for both my outgoing and incoming mail. Why?
The Times put the United States Post Office to the test. Here is what we found.
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Time to take control of your life!
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Should the Indiana State Board of Education issue an apology for members' secret plea to legislative leaders?


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NEW YORK, N.Y., October 10, 2022 – Fillogic, the leading platform for localized logistics, announced the addition of Brett Strassman as the company’s vice president of finance. Brett has been serving in this newly created role since early September 2022.
Prior to joining Fillogic, Brett served as the head of finance for Onna Technologies, a software as a service data services/management company. An expert in helping companies modernize their financial strategies, Brett brings more than a decade of experience in financial growth planning to the Fillogic team. He has a successful track record in fundraising, revenue generation, metrics analysis, and strategic planning for startup SaaS companies across a number of industries. He obtained his bachelor degree in economics/finance from the University of Rhode Island and quickly found his niche in startup progression after a short stint in investment banking.
“I’m really happy to be a part of the Fillogic family and the company’s upward trajectory,” Brett stated. “The vision and passion that this team has for improving the supply chain and transforming retail is inspiring, and I am looking forward to helping them develop a more efficient, strategic plan for their projected growth and building partnerships that can strengthen its standing in the marketplace. There’s so much Fillogic can and will do, and I can’t wait to help make it happen.”
As part of his role, Brett will help the company with its investor relations and building stronger networks and relationships with its financial and business partners.
“We are excited to have Brett on the team and are looking forward to using his past SaaS and startup knowledge to grow our investor base and help establish more strategic financial deals,” said Bill Thayer, CEO of Fillogic.
Fillogic is a NYC-based team of retail and logistics professionals, technologists, serial entrepreneurs, and creative problem solvers with more than 160 years of combined experience. We are driven by a mission to help our partners decipher the writing on the wall as technology continues to rapidly transform the retail landscape.
For more information, please visit: www.fillogic.com.


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Canadian Club has ambitions to become the biggest alcohol brand in Australia and the country’s number one RTD by 2020.
The RTD has positioned itself to target beer drinkers and has been able to grow the Dark RTD category by pulling volume from beer.
Canadian Club remains the biggest contributor to Dark RTD category growth, delivering more than $23.8million incremental value verse last year.
Its ‘Over Beer’ campaign has been in market close to 10 years, and was launched two years after government materially changed the alcohol tax/ excise landscape via a severe increase in the excise on RTD. It’s been hugely successful in recruiting out-of-category drinkers.
Trent Chapman- Marketing Director – Oceania, believes the brand has a winning strategy in place.
It now has the highest penetration in Dark RTD, with one in every three drinkers in the category consuming the product.
“The ‘Over Beer?’ campaign was the result of immense pressure for marketing to work harder than it had ever had to previously for a distilled spirits company,” Chapman said.
“Since then Canadian Club results have been unprecedented – double digital growth year on year, going from a 500,000 case brand in 2010, with 2019 on track to delivering just short of four million cases, while expanding margins each year.
“The creative execution has evolved over the 10 year with the overarching key message portraying Canadian Club as the refreshing alternative to beer staying consistent.”
Chapman said there are still huge opportunities for the brand’s customer base to expand.
“Opportunity for further growth lies in continuing to recruit Young Partiers (aged 18-24) and Discerning Drinkers (aged 35+), switching their drink of choice to Canadian Club.
“To reach our aspiration of being the biggest alcohol brand in Australia we are nurturing the brand in a way that it will cater to all Australians … like VB, XXXX Gold and now Great Northern, Canadian Club is fast becoming sewn into the fabric of the Australian lifestyle.”
The new Dry Zero Sugar offering is also delivering incremental volume by appealing to a broader audience. It currently holds 15% share of the sugar-free category and is growing strongly.
Beam Suntory noted: “Driving refreshment has always been key to Canadian Club, with the health and well-being trend this becomes even more important to the brand.”
Big summer marketing push for Canadian Club
Chapman said it’s going to be a huge season for the brand.
“This summer will look to be Canadian Club’s biggest summer yet with a strong media plan in place; activation in key retailers across the on and off trade, branded execution at The Australian Open, out of home and digital presence.”
The brand is kicking off its activity by giving away more than 3000 free cases of Canadian Club and Dry.
From November 8, consumers can register online to receive their free case delivered to their front door in time for summer kicking off on December 1.
Beyond the backyard barbie, Canadian Club is also taking over the Bucket List, Bondi Beach throughout the month of December, kicking off with a celebratory summer session on Friday, December 6. Guests will enjoy drink specials, prize giveaways and DJ entertainment.


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VW CEO Martin Winterkorn announced that the automaker does not plan to close any plant in Europe, despite the stagnating market.
VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told Austrian broadcaster ORF that the automaker expects further growth in South America, the US, China and Russia, but sales in Europe will stagnate this year. Despite this gloomy forecast Volkswagen said it is committed to its facilities in the European market.
“No, we won’t be withdrawing capacity in Europe, but rather preserving capacity,” Mr. Winterkorn said.
He also added that VW plans to build 10 new plants globally, seven of them located in China. Still, Winterkorn said that the automaker might consider workforce reductions aimed at both temporary and permanent staff.
Earlier this month VW said that worldwide sales slowed in March as headwinds in Germany are increasing. For March VW reported sales up 0.2% to 864,400 units, thanks to demand in the US and China which helped the automaker offset shrinking sales in the European market. In January and February the German automaker delivered 1.4 million vehicles, up 8.3%.
“The data for March clearly show that the markets are becoming even more difficult,” Christian Klingler, VW’s sales chief, said in the statement.
Source: Fox Business


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Here is an email from Phil: "I think the Social Security disability program is a complete rip off. I know lots of people getting disability checks who don't deserve them. It seems like anyone can get on disability. Simply get a doctor to sign statement saying you are disabled, and the checks start rolling in. What can we do to stop this scam?"
MENLO PARK (AP) - It was supposed to be our IPO, the people's public offering.
NEW YORK (AP) - Yahoo may be on the verge of closing its biggest acquisition under CEO Marissa Mayer, as she tries to attract more traffic and advertising to the Internet company's website.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sonic the Hedgehog is rolling with Nintendo.
NEW YORK (AP) - The legacy of J.C. Penney's former CEO is being felt at the department-store chain.
NEW YORK (AP) - The first few months of the year were tough for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) - Time is up for the 13 students in Stephanee Stephens' 8th grade Spanish class.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelans scrambled to stock up on toilet paper Thursday as fears of a bathroom emergency spread despite the socialist government's promise to import 50 million rolls.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple says its customers have downloaded more than 50 billon applications from its App Store since its launch in 2008.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - For Google CEO Larry Page, happiness is a warm computer.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google is digging deeper into its technology toolkit to turn its social networking service into a more formidable threat to Facebook, sprucing up its photo features at a time when sharing snapshots online and on mobile gadgets is growing more popular.
SAN JOSE (AP) - Cisco's net income jumped 14 percent in the latest quarter as revenue at all four of its divisions rose for the first time in a year and a half.
NEW YORK (AP) - The largest U.S. retail-industry group on Wednesday criticized an international pact aimed at improving factory conditions in Bangladesh's garment industry, saying it was a "one-size-fits-all" approach promoted by special interests.
SAN FRANCSICO (AP) - A federal judge in California has again ordered Wells Fargo to pay $203 million back to customers who paid multiple overdraft fees.
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - Google CEO Larry Page has disclosed a problem with his vocal cords that makes it difficult for him to speak and breathe occasionally, but he says he remains fit enough to keep running the Internet's most influential company.
NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. surged 16 percent Tuesday after a Wall Street analyst told investors that Tesla could shake up the electric utility sector as well as the auto industry.
LONDON (AP) - Early Tuesday, the world's most established exchange for bitcoin disappeared from the Internet, sending the price of the virtual currency tumbling and prompting fears that the world's biggest experiment in electronic cash could soon be strangled by fraud or regulation.
NEW YORK (AP) - Egg McMuffin, meet the Waffle Taco.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Samsung sought Monday to frame its new Galaxy S5 smartphone as a lifestyle product, as it emphasized a built-in heart-rate sensor and improved camera features over its slightly larger size.
NEW YORK (AP) - Mark Zuckerberg, known for his outsized ambitions for Facebook, is applying a similar long-term vision to bringing the Internet to the billons of people around the world who don't already have access.
SAN JOSE (AP) - It used to be that "hacking" was just a type of crime, a computer break-in. But today, the term is also part of a growing - and perfectly legal - mainstay of the tech sector.
CHICAGO (AP) - For many older Americans who lost jobs during the recession, the quest for health care has been one obstacle after another. They're unwanted by employers, rejected by insurers, struggling to cover rising medical costs and praying to reach Medicare age before a health crisis.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - At least 10 times since 2008, freight trains hauling oil across North America have derailed and spilled significant quantities of crude, with most of the accidents touching off fires or catastrophic explosions.
MOSCOW (AP) - A trade ban on lacy lingerie has Russian consumers and their neighbors with their knickers in a twist.


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Last week, it was confirmed that Resident Evil Village’s dual-DRM system on PC was causing performance issues, including frame spikes and stuttering. Now, Capcom has begun pushing out an update to fix this, while also adding in AMD’s newly launched FidelityFX Super Resolution technology.
The update comes in at just over 1GB on Steam and should noticeably improve performance on PC. DRM has not been removed from the game, but Capcom says “adjustments have been made to optimise the anti-piracy technology”, which should mean less severe stuttering and a more consistent frame rate.
PC players will also be able to get a nice performance boost from FidelityFX Super Resolution, which has now been implemented in Resident Evil Village. AMD’s new scaling technology has been implemented in a handful of games so far with promising results. Unfortunately, since the update only just dropped, we do not have benchmarks for FSR in Resident Evil Village just yet.
The patch is now rolling out on Steam, so if you own Resident Evil Village, be sure to install the update.
KitGuru Says: Have any of you had the chance to try out this update already? Has performance improved for you?
The post Resident Evil Village update fixes PC DRM issues and adds FSR first appeared on KitGuru.


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Virtual Reality and Indoor Cycling
New findings show use of virtual reality can aid cycling training.
Indoor cyclists who wore virtual-reality headsets experienced less leg-muscle pain during brief, high-intensity intervals than cyclists who wore headsets showing static images, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019; 51 , 2088–97).
“This experiment is an important first step in . . . combining exercise and virtual reality,” said lead study author Carly Wender, doctoral student, Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia.
Researchers found that during the second and third sprints, quadriceps pain was 12%–13% less intense in participants using interactive VR than in the noninteractive group. Cycling performance, however, was the same in both groups. More research is warranted.
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Arvato has designated Singapore as the new Asia-Pacific headquarters for its supply chain management (SCM) Solution Group. To facilitate this, the company has relocated its existing sites in the country to a single 80,000 square feet unit. Raoul Kuetemeier has stepped up from his previous general management role in China to Head of Asia.
“We see an increasing demand for SCM solutions that integrate China and other Asian countries and markets. The new headquarters helps us to establish a strategic footprint in the region,” said Kuetemeier. “With our resources pulled together, we also enhance the efficiency of our highly customized SCM strategies and strengthen our leading position as a SCM solutions provider in Asia’s high-tech and entertainment sector.”
Arvato’s new premise in Changi International Logispark, one of Singapore’s most established logistics clusters, and is furnished with an office, warehouse and assembly area where Arvato will carry out increased volumes of regional logistics and value-added services for their clients.
As part of his new responsibilities, Kuetemeier will focus on streamlining the operations and sales activities for the Arvato SCM Solution Group in the Asia Pacific region. In his new role, he oversees more than 600 employees across Singapore, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Tokyo and Hong Kong.


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PAELLA traditionalists can be heard slamming down their spatulas across the country after culinary boffins have revealed a robotic arm that is claimed to make the ‘perfect’ paella.
Unveiled at a hospitality fair in Malaga last month, the high-tech creation has been specifically designed to create Spain’s national dish from start to finish with out the need for human interaction.
The gadget is the brainchild of paella experts Mimcook and robotics start-up BR5, and has been aimed at the hospitality sector as an automated alternative to the time consuming task of paella making.
Its creators claim that far from taking away from the traditional art, it has been made purely as a ‘labor-saving’ device that will allow chefs to concentrate on creativity.
“The robot will be there if someone’s having an off day or if your rice chef goes off to work in another restaurant.” said Enrique Lillo of BR5.
The robotic Paellero can be programmed with various paella recipes, and once the chef adds the rice, stock and other precooked ingredients, the arm will take over and cook the dish to perfection.
It is equipped with temperature sensors to avoid burning, and will automate the correct amount of ingredients are added to the dish…


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Latest Pharmaceutical drug Stories
PharmacyChecker.com published almost 2000 consumer comments showing that Americans are concerned about new federal regulations expanding the authority of the FDA to destroy safe drug imports for
The physicians behind OTC Plus, an over-the-counter medication coupon app, have revealed their top tips for anyone looking to stock up on low-cost pharmaceuticals, as a new report finds that consumers
Making sure that your family’s medicines are properly handled and stored during the summer season is an important part of keeping everyone safe, healthy and happy.
The recent FDA warning related to Lidocaine is just the latest where labeling has caused some confusion at pharmacies nationwide.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Paseo Oaks Compounding Pharmacy compounds unavailable medications to
OuRX Pharmacy, Inc.
DUBLIN, June 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9kp9sq/ophthalmic_drugs)
Top prescription cream company, Prescriptions Plus, is now offering scar reduction cream to patients nationwide.
Prices of antiviral drugs have been increasing over the past three years, with rising demand from the growing number of insured patients and new patents allowing suppliers to charge premium prices
OMICS Group is delighted to announce the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition on Pharmacovigilance & Clinical Trials on October 27-29, 2014 at Hyderabad India, with the theme "Safer
- One of the side scenes of the stage in a theater, or the space included between the side scenes.
- The outside stock exchange, or “curb market,” of Paris.
- A flute or groove on the blade of a sword.
- A section of stage scenery placed in a wing of a theatre.


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Apple IOS 14.5 rolled out to iPhone 12 and other eligible iPhones earlier this week. The new iOS update brings with it a bunch of new features and security updates. One of the highlights is App Tracking Transparency.
App Tracking Transparency is an important feature and must be enabled if you are concerned about your privacy on your phone. The feature ensures that developers take the user’s permission before using their personal data to track them across apps. Users can choose to allow or decline permission for the app to track their activities while using the data.
The feature is so strong that it triggered popular apps like Facebook that feed on user data. Facebook ran newspaper ads and campaigns stating that the new Apple privacy rules could be devastating for small businesses.
However, Apple defended itself by stating that it is standing up for its users and that they should be aware when their data is being collected.
“Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not. App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 does not require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising, it simply requires they give users a choice,” Apple had said.
Enabling App Tracking Transparency on your iPhone will ensure that apps ask for your permission before tracking your activities. You can choose to allow access or simply deny.
How to enable App Tracking Transparency on iPhone?
App Tracking Transparency is available on iPhone 12 and other iPhones eligible to get the iOS 14.5 update. Apple has already rolled out the update. To download and install iOS 14.5, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Here, tap on “Download and Install” to continue. Ensure that you have a stable Wi-Fi connection. It is also advised that you take a backup of your data before installing iOS 14.5.


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1 / 8
WhatsApp will not work for these smartphone users starting this year
Starting today, WhatsApp has stopped working for a number of smartphone users....Read more
Late last month, the company announced this via a blog post on its official website. "These platforms don't offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future.
If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer OS version, or to a newer Android running OS 4.0+, iPhone running iOS 7+, or Windows Phone 8.1+ so that you can continue using WhatsApp," the company said in a blog post.
2 / 8
BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10
Users with smartphones running BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10 and older platforms will not be able to use WhatsApp this year....Read more
WhatsApp's ended support for these platforms on December 31, 2017.
3 / 8
Windows Phone 8.0
Users with smartphones running Windows Phone 8.0 will not be able to use WhatsApp this year....Read more
WhatsApp ended support for this Microsoft's mobile platform on December 31, 2017. The messaging app also does not support Windows Phone 7.
4 / 8
Nokia S40 until December 31, 2018
Another mobile platform that WhatsApp stopped supporting from December 31, 2017 is Nokia S40....Read more
5 / 8
Android Gingerbread after February 1, 2020
Users of Android versions 2.3.7 (Android Gingerbread) still have over two years of WhatsApp support....Read more
The Facebook-owned company has announced that it will stop supporting the device after February 1, 2020.
6 / 8
WhatsApp stopped supporting devices running Nokia Symbian S60 in June 2016
7 / 8
WhatsApp has also ended support for iPhone 3GS/iOS 6
8 / 8
WhatsApp updates were stopped for Android 2.1, Android 2.2 in December 2016


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Governor Gregoire picked a fun fight yesterday with California when she stated “They make jug wine. We make fine wine." All this while signing the capital construction budget, which included $5 million for a new Wine Science Center.
Well of course Governor Gregoire talked about California and jugs… It is, after all, the land of Baywatch, of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, of… Wait, wrong jugs?
All joking aside, such banter is a bit like throwing mashed potatoes at your brother across the table when the folks aren’t looking, right? In reality, California is a bigger wine producer than Washington state. And yeah, they’ve been at it for longer than we have, too. But clearly, there’s room for everyone in the market.
Our southern cousin does have more grapes: California’s largest growing region—the Central Valley—is said to stretch for 300 miles and produce nearly 75 percent of wines, including those for Gallo, Franzia, and Bronco Wine Company. And, in 2011, California’s wine grape planting was estimated at 543,000 acres; Washington’s was about 40,000 acres.
So, yeah, let’s face it, Washington doesn’t have the grapes to pour into jugged wine. California does, it’s a fact. Which is why Washington has focused more on producing “premium” wines—those above the $8 price point—and wines of value.
Of course, it’s somewhat akin to the wealthiest Americans also holding the greatest percentage of the wealth. In 2011 California shipped 211.9 million 9-liter cases of wine to the U.S. market. By comparison, in 2010 Washington produced 11.2 million 9-liter cases of wine for the U.S. market. And yet, the state is the second largest producer of premium wines in the U.S.
Come on, California, you can’t deny that you do, indeed, make jug wine. But hey, a heck of a lot of Americans want jug wine. Shoot, I grew up with a jug of wine sitting on the back step in the garage. (Sorry, mom.) Luckily for me, those days are mostly long gone.
So, no, we don’t make jug wine. And we’re number two. And damn proud of it.
For the record, in February, Wine Business Monthly listed E&J Gallo Winery as the largest U.S. wine producer in 2011; Ste. Michelle Winery Estates ranked seventh. Columbia Crest, Washington’s largest brand, makes something like 2 million cases of wine each year. Would that even rank among the top producing brands in California? Here’s a picture, courtesy Google Earth, of each of Gallo and the Crest from above. (Check out those silos!)


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The North Myrtle Beach farmer's market is scheduled to open Monday.
Located at 925, 1st Avenue South, the market will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday through October 28.
Vendors at the market sell fruits and veggies, seafood, baked goods, jams and jellies, and other craft items.
Some parking is available at the market and at city hall. The city asks that patrons do no park in the library parking lot.
The market is part of the Waccamaw Market Cooperative, a non-profit which organizes other farmers markets in the areas, connecting residents to local farmers.
The Waccamaw Market Cooperative also runs other markets in the area in Georgetown, Surfside Beach, Myrtle Beach's Market Common, Conway, Coastal Carolina University, Barefoot Landing, and Little River.


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Twitch is beefing up its security in the wake of a huge data breach.
This article is more than 2 years old
The video live streaming platform Twitch has provided an update following the major data breach that took place on October 6, which we previously reported. The company is reassuring its users that login credentials should be safe but proceeded with resetting stream keys for all streamers, out of “an abundance of caution.” Regardless, changing a user’s password and activating 2-factor verification is still highly advised for all Twitch users.
According to Comic Book, Twitch confirmed that the company had suffered a security breach that leaked approx. 125 GB of company data online, including source codes, earnings data for top streamers, and untimely revealed what Amazon’s been cooking in their software development department – a video game digital distribution platform that could rival Steam. However, the people in charge of understanding the extent of said security breach have disclosed that login credentials and credit card numbers weren’t exposed.
The company’s statement posted online reveals that the company is aware that some of its data was exposed to the internet due to an error in a Twitch server configuration, which allowed access to a malicious third party. The company also informed users that stream keys had been reset for everyone on the same day. For those who don’t know, a stream key is a unique number used to link streaming software to the user’s Twitch channel. As such, it’s one of the most protected pieces of data since it can pose as a crucial component of the various channel and stream hacks.
Users can now retrieve their new stream keys from the dashboard and avoid sharing them with anyone, especially Twitch staff, as they would never ask users for data they already have access to. But in terms of what streaming users need to go back to broadcasting in Twitch, well, it actually depends on the broadcasting software they’re using. Those using Twitch Studio, Streamlabs, Xbox, PlayStation, and Twitch mobile app, shouldn’t do anything, as their key should be automatically updated. However, those using OBS to connect to Twitch have to manually update their stream key within OBS. Other broadcasting software might also require manual key updates or other changes of setting to enable streaming.
The “malicious third party” Twitch referred to seems to be an anonymous hacker, or hacker collective, which claimed their reasons behind revealing Twitch data was to foster disruption and competition in the online video streaming space, because “their (Twitch’s) community is a disgusting cesspool.” The cybercriminal is most likely referring to the rise of harmful content, such as nudity, and sexually suggestive themes across video game streaming platforms that many users brought attention to recently, with some even leaving game streaming services in favor of YouTube, due to explicit content, hate speech, and hate raids present on the Amazon-owned platform.
It’s worth noting that the “leak” occurred the same day that UK regulator Ofcom set new guidelines for video-sharing platforms like Twitch, TikTok, Snapchat, and Vimeo The affected platforms must take new measures to protect their users from harmful content. Most TikTok users are in their teens or early 20s and exposure to harmful content, such as suggestive or even explicit content, can cause many psychological problems. Breach of said guidelines is likely to result in fines or even a suspension of service in more severe cases.


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Chicago Booth Magazine How Can Companies Keep Up with Customers?
Amid sweeping disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer behavior is changing more quickly than ever. The CEOs of Chewy and Foxtrot Market offer insights about keeping customer needs front and center, no matter what 2021 has in store.
- January 29, 2021
“Disruption and change may be uncomfortable, but they are also powerful catalysts for innovation,” reminded Sumit Singh, ’14, CEO of popular online pet retailer Chewy, headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida. “While we must anticipate continuing external disruptions, we can also excel as business leaders by introducing innovations of our own, in service of our customers and employees alike.”
Catalyzing Change at Chewy
For Chewy, evolving in response to the challenges of the pandemic not only included introducing new “Connect with a Vet” telehealth services to provide medical advice to pet owners stuck home on lockdown. It also meant rapidly transitioning its 2,000-strong team of customer service agents to a nearly 100 percent remote work environment, and quickly shifting to methods of communication with shoppers that are primarily driven by digital mediums such as online chats, emails, and social network exchanges. As a result of these unexpected shifts, a company initially envisioned primarily as a simple and convenient place to purchase toys, kibble, and treats has since grown to become a promising source of pet-related services of all kinds, and the largest e-commerce pet pharmacy provider in the country.
Learning to apply leaner and meaner operating strategies, embrace a scrappier business model, and leverage technology innovations more capably in the face of disruption can help organizations stay one step ahead of the curve, Singh noted. Likewise, he advised, it’s also vital for executives hoping to successfully navigate uncertainty to embrace new industry advancements as well. In keeping with these shifts, this past October, the company rolled out its first fully automated fulfillment and distribution center, in Archbald, Pennsylvania, which is anticipated to reduce fulfillment costs by a third and improve operations efficiency by up to 45 percent.
Buoyed by these and other changes the company has made, Chewy’s stock price more than doubled in 2020, the company’s workforce grew to over 18,000 people, and the publicly traded company continued to notch up multiple quarters of record-setting customer growth. Skyrocketing interest in pet adoption and consumers’ reliance on online shopping have also led to significant gains for Chewy’s shareholders, a turn of good fortune that the company has made a point to roll right back into its community. The firm has since donated more than $30 million in food, medication, and supplies to GreaterGood.org and other animal welfare organizations and rescue centers to help these organizations weather the ongoing pandemic.
Still, any business’s fortunes can wax and wane faster than ever in today’s environment of sudden and unexpected change. The surest way to keep up with fast-changing times and trends isn’t to continue repeatedly applying the same historical business strategies and solutions in the face of rapidly evolving markets, Singh suggested. Rather, it’s to use uncertainty and disruption as sources of motivation to proactively disrupt yourself before competitors do. Likewise, he said, it pays to leverage emerging socioeconomic changes as a catalyst to evolve your own strategies in time with shifting customer needs and competitive landscapes.
“There are two specific qualities that leaders must display now in order to stay one step ahead of the curve,” Singh noted. “The first is the ability to anticipate what’s coming next, and the second is the ability to think big and invent.” At Chewy, Singh encourages leaders to stay close to their customers using metrics and insights, and to think bigger and rapidly innovate on behalf of their clients. “Customer centricity must be infused into your corporate culture, along with a shared sense of mission to deliver an exceptional experience every time,” he said. “Your entire organization should practice these principles every day.”
Leading with Innovation
One company that’s been quick to adapt in light of recent changes is upscale convenience store chain Foxtrot, whose popular markets sell in house and deliver a curated selection of groceries and meals to shoppers’ doorsteps. “Being a CEO, I’m constantly focused on new and emerging trends, and ways to get my teams thinking about how high-tech innovations like cashier-less checkouts and social shopping are going to impact our business model,” noted cofounder Mike LaVitola, ’14. “As a modern executive, you need to read voraciously, spend time speaking to innovators in complementary fields, and really do your homework here.”
Originally launched in 2013 as a beverage delivery app for students, the trendy Chicago-based retailer and foodservice staple has spent 2020 finding ways to stay more closely dialed into its customers—and the insights they can provide. Since COVID-19 hit, the company has begun to roll out contactless delivery options, on-demand café pickup options, and new shipping capabilities, among other advancements. But perhaps the firm’s biggest windfalls have come through enhancements to its frequent-shopper loyalty program, for which it has created unique, time-limited offers designed to boost app-based traffic and online sales. To date the program has delivered a 30 percent sales uptick in featured category items, delivering welcome wins for the organization in a time of great uncertainty.
LaVitola credits part of Foxtrot’s ongoing success to understanding its core value proposition: fast and convenient access to top-quality, handpicked offerings and items. In navigating, he relies on the lessons he learned at Booth, as well as a close focus on customers’ changing needs and interests.
“COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way in which we work, but despite the challenges that 2020 brought, it’s also helped drive innovation across the board,” LaVitola explained. “Our real-estate team has uncovered new, unbelievable store locations and reinvented our store format to drive our dayparting business [ad-driven promotions scheduled on the basis of a time of day].” When COVID-19 began preventing in-person celebrations and gatherings, LaVitola’s team observed many customers sending gifts to each other. “Our merchandise team reinvented gifting and expanded our selection of organic wines, driving 25 percent more sales,” LaVitola said. “We expanded our gifting options, driving average order value up by 10 percent in the process.”
In other words, said LaVitola, a business’s ability to respond to disruption is largely a matter of its willingness to take an objective look at itself and its capabilities in light of new events, and its willingness to make necessary changes. “At Foxtrot we’ve chosen to respond to the pressures that the pandemic has presented with a strategy of inspired creativity, deep collaboration, and organizational alignment. It’s more important than ever to stay dialed into clients’ needs.” No matter how uncertain times like these are, he noted, “your customers will tell you what they want—it’s up to you as a business leader to really listen.” Bearing this in mind, it’s important to encourage employees who interact with customers regularly to speak up and share their feedback and insights. As a business, LaVitola said, it’s vital to be “really connected internally,” and implement platforms and programs that can help clients themselves have a voice in your transformation process.
Designing Better Customer Experiences
Also important for organizations to note: flexibility and agility are only becoming more crucial to strive for, as the need to pivot on a dime will continue to grow in 2021 and beyond. “You need to find ways both to be hyper-dialed into your customer’s needs and to move more quickly on these insights,” explained LaVitola. “Curiosity is essential: I’m constantly thinking about how emerging technologies and trends and new industry developments are going to impact our business model.”
But while technology promises to provide organizations with the flexibility needed to adapt to unexpected developments, many businesses continue to struggle to keep up with the pace of technological change happening today. However, learning how to effectively adopt and implement future-focused high-tech innovations will only become even more critical to maintaining long-term business success in coming years, long after the pandemic recedes. “The shift in consumer demand toward online channels has accelerated dramatically due to the pandemic,” said Singh. “Customers will only continue to demand more from companies, who must rise to the challenge of minimizing supply chain disruption and offering myriad solutions.”
Staying attuned to changes in the marketplace and customer habits (which technology allows you to monitor and predict) is vital to remaining agile and competitive, he asserted. Thankfully for firms of every size in every field looking to reinvent or reposition themselves to thrive in coming years, a host of new technologies offers solutions for staying ahead of unexpected developments. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analysis tools that can help you make smarter decisions, and business process automation solutions that streamline operations will only become more vital.
Of course, all the new technologies and groundbreaking apps in the world ultimately mean little if you can’t translate their upsides into actionable business strategies, reminded Singh. That’s because customer experience is everything in tomorrow’s commercial world. “Customers expect us to be authentic and trusted advisors,” said Singh, noting that this applies to internal customers in every business department as well. But while 82 percent of marketers feel that their brands are living up to customers’ expectations, just one in 10 clients actually agrees, according to a consumer experience survey by SaaS firm Acquia. It’s imperative to also keep a laser focus on what counts most as an organization, said Singh: finding ways to create customer experiences that audiences will adore, that will inspire shopper loyalty, and that will continue to keep buyers coming back for more.
For instance, Chewy not only invested in robotic and automated order fulfillment as a way to speed up order processing (among other benefits), but it also brought an internal team of mechanical and industrial engineers and order fulfillment experts together to help minimize warehouse staffers’ workloads, boost workforce productivity, and minimize downtime. That meant not only improving fulfillment speed and accuracy—it also meant finding ways to remove congestion and optimize workflows to promote greater social distancing and safety. “Customer centricity must be something that your entire organization practices and acts upon every day,” said Singh. “Scaling is meaningless as a business if you fail to deliver on that promise.”
If you’re looking to design customer experiences of your own that connect more readily, Singh and LaVitola both advised applying a mix of low- and high-tech strategies to innovate. For example: use analytics and customer data to glean crucial insights and know where to focus your company’s efforts; create internal opportunities for workers close to customers to share their insights and feedback (e.g., internal message boards or innovation contests); and offer vehicles through which customers can actively get involved and provide insight and feedback as you go about crafting new programs and solutions. Likewise, they also recommend hiring employees who are curious and capable problem solvers, promoting a corporate culture of accountability and service, and actively rewarding employees for their commitment to customer success, to reinforce the practice of positive habits at every turn. Finding ways to shout out and recognize staffers who go the extra mile, they said, can provide a simple yet powerful incentive for workers to maintain a consistent customer focus. In effect it’s crucial for companies hoping to thrive despite ongoing disruption to make a commitment to customer experience that needs to come from the executive suite down, and for leaders to model the behaviors they’d like to see reflected in their staff at all times.
“Attentiveness and intentionality in building the right culture is paramount to any business,” noted Singh. “Ingenuity, resourcefulness, and empathy should remain at the forefront of your approach, and leaders should focus on delivering new solutions for customers, partners, and team members. Empowering other leaders to help elevate their performance is a critical factor in achieving future success.”
Future-Proofing Your Business: Putting the Pieces Together
When it comes to continuing market volatility and ongoing disruptions brought on by COVID-19 and growing economic upheaval, it’s anyone’s guess what the future will bring. But as both Singh and LaVitola suggested, if you simply keep an open mind and remain flexible as a business leader, while also implementing a mix of high- and low-tech innovations that can keep your company well-informed and nimble, the challenges presented by an increasingly unpredictable business environment can become more manageable than you’d anticipate.
Foxtrot recently launched the Up & Comers Small Makers Awards, an initiative that allows food, beverage, wellness, and self-care startups to gain much-needed exposure and distribution. Under the terms of the program, small and local businesses can submit products to be reviewed by a panel of judges, who can award cash prizes, mentorship, and even coveted spots on Foxtrot Markets’ store shelves. Repositioning its physical locations to not only offer customers brand-name selections, but also serve as incubators for promising upstart brands, offers all parties deeper insights into what resonates with modern shoppers—and more opportunities to adjust and improve their business strategy accordingly.
Granted, like operating conditions, customer habits and preferences will continue to evolve throughout 2021 and into the foreseeable future. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, it’s critical to remain positive. Tomorrow’s most successful business leaders will take a relentlessly practical approach to problem-solving, with an eye toward steering their organizations toward (or back to) success, whatever the future brings. “Forces such as COVID or others that cause disruption bring with them ambiguity and uncertainty,” Singh said. “It’s now more important than ever for leaders to remain optimistic and singularly focused on their company and mission. Across the business landscape ingenuity, resourcefulness, and empathy must remain at the forefront of your strategy, and leaders should focus on delivering forward-thinking, new solutions.”
Illuminating Dramatic Changes in Grocery Shopping
Throughout 2020, as business leaders responded to ever-evolving challenges on the ground, researchers from a variety of disciplines at Chicago Booth dove into the data to illuminate new insights about the pandemic’s impact—from the economic impact of stimulus measures, to ramifications for the US labor force, the effect on markets, and much more.
Professor of marketing Oleg Urminsky, along with the University of Michigan’s A. Yeşim Orhun, used Nielsen Homescan Panel Data to look into how the pandemic affected consumers’ grocery purchasing and stockpiling habits, analyzing how shoppers’ behaviors changed during the early weeks of the pandemic and the lockdown period that followed.
They found that consumers drastically changed their shopping habits to stockpile, substantially increasing both the number of shopping trips they made and how much they purchased in each trip, compared to their prior shopping patterns. “Think of shoppers with overflowing shopping carts, coming home and stuffing the freezer and the cupboards,” said Urminsky. “Then, after a few weeks, their behavior shifted again, into lockdown mode, making fewer but larger shopping trips than they normally would.”
Interestingly, the pair found that these changes in behavior were not consistent across different shoppers. “In particular, lower income shoppers changed their behavior less—doing less stockpiling, and less reduction in trips but increasing in amounts during the lockdown period,” said Urminsky. “We think this occurred because low-income consumers had less financial ability to shift their shopping, and as a result, low-income consumers may have been less prepared for the pandemic.”
Leading Amid Unprecedented Disruption
Amid the tumult of 2020, the observation that these times are unprecedented has become a cliché. But as 2021 dawns and new changes and challenges continue, it will be critical for leaders to keep a level head in the face of disruption—at least until “these times” can be a little more “precedented” again.
Here, Chewy CEO Sumit Singh, ’14, and Foxtrot CEO Mike LaVitola, ’14, offered their best advice for staying calm when things are topsy-turvy.
- Stay laser focused on customer needs using technology tools, online surveys, and direct one-on-one feedback. Shoppers’ interests and operating realities can now shift on a dime. Understanding the pain points they face now, and even predicting what challenges they’ll face next, can help you uncover new ways to make yourself essential, said Singh.
- Seek cost-affordable methods of experimentation and learning. Testing out pilot programs or a minimum viable product can prove a helpful way to rapidly source insights from your target market and increase the odds of finding success with new ventures, the pair emphasized.
- Apply measurable metrics to every choice you make so you can track and continuously improve products, processes, and programs, noted LaVitola. Don’t be afraid to revisit and revise your strategies and approaches as you gain more feedback and information.
- Be a curious optimist, and an eager learner. Operating conditions and situations on the ground can shift rapidly right now. In the event of an unexpected setback, remember: a simple pivot could help you right the ship again, LaVitola and Singh reminded.
Staying focused on customer needs and making data-driven decisions is only possible if you have access to data-driven insights on consumers to inform your decisions. With data now the lifeblood of any modern organization, Chicago Booth’s James M. Kilts Center for Marketing has established an exclusive relationship with the Nielsen Company to make sweeping information on consumer purchasing trends available to academic researchers worldwide.
This comprehensive marketing database goes back to 2004, with regular annual updates. The available marketing datasets are compiled on the basis of 40,000 to 60,000 consumer household panelists, reports from 35,000 to 50,000 participating retail stores, and myriad online and real-world advertisements and surveys. These datasets have already fostered hundreds of working papers, many of which have been published in leading academic journals.
Using these datasets—which shed insights into hundreds of topics, from consumer goods to housing and employment—researchers in multiple disciplines can effectively cross-reference and explore purchasing dynamics in context to surface actionable business insights.
Recently a group of researchers—including Michael Weber, associate professor of finance and a Fama Faculty Fellow; professor of marketing Oleg Urminsky; University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy’s Dmitri Koustas; University of Texas’s Olivier Coibion; and University of California at Berkeley’s Yuriy Gorodnichenko—were able to assess how COVID-19 has impacted household grocery inventorying behavior. Using information from the Nielsen datasets, they discovered marked shifts in consumer habits over time.
Given the size, scope, and breadth of these datasets (additionally fueled by findings piped in straight from in-store buys), insights can also be leveraged to see how customer habits and needs are changing in specific locales and geographic territories.
The Kilts Center’s relationship with Nielsen is currently making powerful insights such as these available to more than 1,300 researchers from a range of disciplines and representing over 75 universities around the world.
Three decades ago, licensing was confined to the likes of cartoon characters on kids’ lunch boxes. But Feldman, ’71, saw its true potential.Licensing Pioneer Allan Feldman on Expanding a Brand


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US foodservice marketer and distributor Sysco has posted a 20.3% rise in quarterly net earnings.
The company reported net earnings of US$222.0m for the second quarter to 27 December, compared to $184.6m a year earlier.
Sales increased to $7.0bn, compared to $6.3bn in last year’s second quarter
“Our performance in the second quarter provided further proof that our growth strategies are fundamentally sound and successful,” said president and chief operating officer Thomas Lankford. “We believe that Sysco continues to grow sales and earnings at a rate above the industry average and we remain confident that we will continue to increase our market share from its current 13% level.”


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The US Patent and Trademark Office has informed Wave that it is issuing two patents for its novel, mechanical approach to helping smart speakers hear better in noisy conditions. The invention drew inspiration from the acoustic mirrors carved into England’s White Cliffs of Dover during the early days of World War II. Microphones were placed on a shelf below the acoustic mirrors, which were half-parabolas, to hear approaching German bombers from across the English Channel and sound the alarm. Warping the half-parabola shape of the Cliffs into a ring and then engineering the curvature and other dimensions appropriately to focus sound on a ring-shaped array of microphones led to a structure that helps popular smart speakers (you know the ones) work better in noise and from further away. And they also help the speakers sound better too!
J. Keith McElveen will be giving a talk on Wearable Hearing at The Citadel at 4pm EDT on September 25, 2019. The event is open to the public. Details can be found at: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/204738
Wave Sciences’ patent for visible light communications to enable businesses to easily comply with American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for accommodating individuals with hearing loss is now available on line at the following link:
Post and Courier article about Wave Sciences: Charleston-based company could provide the next evolution in hearing loss solutions
The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a utility patent to Wave Sciences for a visible light communications (VLC) audio system using compact fluorescent light (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Individuals with hearing loss are expected to benefit from this innovative way to listen to recorded or live audio without the interference and fading issues of radio frequency technologies. Businesses open to the public are expected to likewise benefit from an affordable and convenient path to ADA compliance.
J. Keith McElveen, founder, president, and chief technology officer of Wave Sciences, will be speaking at TEDxCharleston on April 10th, 2019 in the Charleston Music Hall on the topic of how technology can help replace one’s lost 3D hearing and help voices stand out from background noise and cocktail party babble again.
Wave Sciences has “graduated” from the Charleston Digital Corridor’s Flagship 2 location and is now open for business at 151 King Street in historic downtown Charleston. If you are in the area, please drop by for a cup of coffee or tea and a chat about hearing technology.
In addition to moving our company headquarters, we’ve also opened a satellite office in the Beaufort Digital Corridor in historic Beaufort, SC. We look forward to getting to see our Beaufort, Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Savannah colleagues more frequently!
The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a utility patent to Wave Sciences for a directional audio microphone array for laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
See the "Local Tech Start Ups - Edgy and Cool Products" section. Wave Sciences is profiled on pages 110-111.
Wave Sciences has entered into a multi-year collaborative research agreement with an internationally recognized research hospital to capitalize on Wave Sciences' hearing technologies.
Advanced Textiles Source mentioned Wave Sciences' advances in consumer hearing in a recent article on smart textiles (link):
“Our garment is a hands-free, discreet solution to hearing-in-noise—nobody knows you are wearing it. Currently, all of the electronics are removable for laundering the garment, but we are moving to the next step in our development where everything but a small, detachable module is washable,” he says. “It will feel like a common undergarment.”
“We can make hearing ten times better,” McElveen continues. “If someone needs to be within two and a half feet to easily have a conversation within a coffee shop, we let them hear their order being called out by the barista across the room, 25 feet away. That changes peoples’ daily lives.”
When hearing aid users are asked what issues they have with their hearing aids, they report the most troubles with:
- Hearing in noisy places, such as coffee shops, restaurants, and airplanes
- Wind noise
- Squealing (from electronic feedback, particularly in noisy conditions)
Given reports that only 1 in 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one, it is important that these issues be addressed.
This is where smart garment technologies can help. Smart garments are showing up in hospitals and gyms where they are used to measure, record, and report one's heart rate, respiration, and other information.
Wave Sciences has pioneered applying smart garment technology to hearing. Imagine using a t-shirt, camisole, or other garment to "tailor" the sounds around you to fit your needs by "cutting out" the sounds you don't want to hear and "padding" the ones you do - and then automatically working with your hearing aid or ear bud to present your custom-tailored sounds.
Real hearing aid users that have tried our prototype devices said they were "amazing", "natural sounding", and "life changing". We are hard at work on consumer versions so that you can experience how life changing hearing without issues can be.


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There is yet to be a confirmation of the cause of the fire. A total of 9 motorcycles and 4 electric scooters were lost in the blaze at KLCC.
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Authorities have confirmed that four electric scooters were among those lost in a fire at Suria KLCC earlier yesterday. Apart from the scooters, a total of 9 motorcycles were also caught in the blaze.
A spokesman for the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department stated that a total of 15 firefighters with three fire extinguishers were present at the location for extinguishing purposes.
This incident would be the first reported fire to involve an electric vehicle in Malaysia.
Despite electric vehicle fires being difficult to put out, the scooters herein involved small batteries. This makes the job of firefighters less burdensome.
There is yet to be a confirmation of the cause of the fire. There is no saying that the electric scooters could have caused it.
“Upon arrival, we found that nine motorcycles and four electric scooters were completely burnt. The other four were burnt between three and 20 per cent.”
The cause of the incident is still under investigation. However, the supplier of electric scooters, Beam, has made an official statement stating that their scooters were not the cause of the fire.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Discounter Family Dollar Stores Inc. said Wednesday that its fiscal second-quarter profit rose 33%, aided by shoppers seeking bargains in the economic downturn.
The company also gave third-quarter and full-year profit forecasts that exceeded Wall Street expectations.
Executives said on a conference call that Family Dollar has seen more trips and higher average purchases from its core low income customers but also has won additional visits from more middle income customers. The company has expanded its product assortment, adding more traffic-driving consumable items while paring back on discretionary products as apparel sales continued to be soft. It also has made stores reduce clutter to make it easier to shop.
"The dollar store businesses continue to outperform in the weak economy," said Deutsche Bank analyst Mike Baker.
Discounters including Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Net income rose to $84.1 million, or 60 cents a share, from $63.3 million, or 45 cents, a year earlier. Sales in the quarter ended Feb. 28 rose 8.7% to $1.99 billion.
Comparable-store sales climbed 6.4% as the company increased, for the third straight quarter, customer traffic and the amount shoppers spent on each average transaction. The discounter, which operates more than 6,600 stores in 44 states, said food and other consumable items led the demand increase.
Second-quarter gross profit margin widened to 33.7% from 32.7% after the company lowered seasonal discounts and reduced inventory theft and freight expenses.
Analysts polled by FactSet Research estimated, on average, per-share profit of 60 cents in the second quarter, 50 cents in the third quarter and $1.89 for the year.
Its shares rose 3.9% to $33.92 in early trading.